Sensing systems for agricultural implements and related methods

ABSTRACT

Sensing systems for agricultural equipment and related methods may be configured for detecting the operating state of rotating elements in agricultural implements. The sensing systems for an agricultural implement may include a rotating element and a monitoring center equipped with an alert mechanism. The sensing systems may include an inertial sensor, a microprocessor, a communication element, and a power supply. The sensing system may be a single element fixed directly to the rotating element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/221,326, filed 14 Dec. 2018, which claims priority to Brazilianpatent application number BR 102017027139-0 of Jose Roberto do AmaralAssy, filed 15 Dec. 2017, the entire disclosure of each of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This disclosure generally relates the sensing systems for agriculturalequipment. In some examples, the disclosure relates to systems andmethods for detecting the operating state of rotating elements inagricultural implements.

BACKGROUND

Conventional agricultural implements for planting, generally referred toas planters or seed planters, are used mainly for large-scale plantingon large grounds. In this way, a systematic error such as improperadjustment of the equipment, locking of a rotating element, or even thebreaking of some element can cause poor planting in large areas of afield and, therefore, can bring enormous damages to the farmer.

As for the operation of agricultural implements, one of the most commonproblems is the locking of the rotational movement of wheels, discs, androtating elements in general, a phenomenon also called “snagging.”Snagging occurs mainly due to the entry of debris (straw, roots, grass,and dry clods) between two portions with relative movement, so that therotational movement of the rotating element in question is blocked.

Another less frequent problem is the breaking of movement transmissioncomponents to the rotating elements due to mechanical failures. Thedirect consequences of these events may include the dragging of plantinginputs, alteration of distance between seeds, reduction of seed plantingdepth, and absence of soil pressure on the planting inputs. Theseconsequences can cause, among other problems, the appearance of fungiand problematic germination, besides the reduction of the lifetime ofthe machine in operation.

There are known systems to avoid such damages that aid in theidentification of events that may be detrimental to the smooth progressof the planting process. A document disclosing a system for this purposeis European Patent No. EP0476266, which describes a monitoring devicefor seeding that has at least one sensor arranged on a drive wheel andan acoustic or visual alert method.

The EP0476266 document discloses a monitoring system intended to stopoperating while the farm equipment is stationary and starts workingagain only under field operating conditions, where the seeds areeffectively introduced into the soil. The aim of this system is not towarn about a wheel locking incident, but to interrupt the plantingoperation if the wheel stops turning, even with the agriculturalimplement still in motion.

Also known is U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0206282,which discloses a system for distributing a precise amount of inputs(e.g., seeds, fertilizer, etc.) as a function of the operational speedof the agricultural implement. The implement speed is detected usingsensors and a signal is sent to adjust the quantity of inputs to bedelivered as defined by the operator. Although this publication presentsa solution to assist in the adequate delivery of inputs, in awheel-locking event with the implement still at operational speed, thedelivery of the inputs would be reduced or terminated improperly withoutalerting the operator.

Another document that discloses the use of sensors in agriculturalequipment is U.S. Pat. No. 8,326,500. This document discloses the use ofa rotation sensor to detect and alert an operator when a wheel hasstopped rotating while the agricultural implement is still in motion.

The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,326,500 uses a single sensor tomonitor two wheels of the agricultural implement at the same time andalerts the operator only when the implement is in motion.

The sensors conventionally used to detect wheel rotation includemagnetic sensors, inductive sensors, proximity sensors, optical sensors,and speed sensors, the latter being normally used in the wheel bearings.

All of the aforementioned conventional sensors have in common thenecessity of having two parts with relative movement between each other,so that one of the parts functions as a reference and the other as adetector. For example, conventional magnetic and inductive sensors usemagnets and metals attached to the wheels to detect the number of timesthat the components pass each other in a certain period. Additionally,the optical and proximity sensors use similar openings or protrusions inan analogous manner.

In general, conventional systems often use wires and cables for sensorfeeding and data transmission, which makes fabrication, installation,and maintenance costly, time-consuming, and often dependent on skilledlabor.

Conventional systems, especially those equipped with sensors havingtheir own reference elements, have certain drawbacks and limitationsrelated to the installation, maintenance, and costs.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a sensing system usedin an agricultural implement, which may be capable of eliminating, or atleast reducing, the limitations of conventional technologies.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a sensingsystem, particularly for use in agricultural equipment, that may becapable of identifying the rotation and/or tilt of a rotating element.The disclosed systems may additionally or alternatively identify whenthe agricultural implement excessively vibrates.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may also provide aneasy-to-install sensing system without the use of wire and cables forpower and communication with a central unit.

In order to overcome at least some of the drawbacks of conventionalsystems, some embodiments of the present disclosure include a sensingsystem for agricultural equipment, in which the agricultural implementmay include a rotating element and a monitoring center equipped with analert mechanism. The sensing system may include: an inertial sensor; amicroprocessor; a communication element; and a power supply. The sensingsystem may be a single element fixed directly to the rotating element.

In accordance with additional or alternative embodiments of thedisclosure, the following features, either alone or in technicallypossible combinations, also may be present:

the rotating element may be one among the group of: a contact wheel, acutting disc, a depth wheel, a closing wheel, a cleansing wheel, or ahinge of the agricultural implement; the communication element may be awireless communication element; and/or the power supply may include atleast one of a battery, a cable, or an energy collector/generator.

Embodiments of the present disclosure also include a method of rotationsensing applied in an agricultural implement including a rotatingelement. The method may include: (a) performing a first reading ofinertial values of orthogonal axes of a sensor reference system anddefining a first resulting vector; (b) performing a second reading ofthe inertial values of the orthogonal axes of a sensor reference systemand defining a second resulting vector; (c) calculating an angularvariation between the first and second resulting vectors; (d)determining whether there is an angular variation between the first andsecond resulting vectors and, if there is no angular variation, sendingan alert signal to a monitoring center; and (e) repeating the foregoingsteps sequentially starting from step (a) if there is an angularvariation.

The present disclosure also includes, in some embodiments, a method oftilt sensing applied in an agricultural implement, wherein theagricultural implement includes a rotating element, a reference element,and a monitoring center. The tilt sensing method may include the stepsof: (a) performing a first reading of the inertial values of orthogonalaxes of a reference system of a first inertial sensor fixed on therotating element and defining a first resulting vector; (b) performing asecond reading of the inertial values of the orthogonal axes of thereference system of a second inertial sensor fixed on the referenceelement and defining a second resulting vector; (c) calculating anangular variation between the first and second resulting vectors; (d)determining a relative angle between the rotating element and thereference element; and (e) determining a relative orientation of therotating element relative to the reference element.

The disclosed tilt sensing method may also include the followingadditional or alternative embodiments, provided either alone or incombination: the rotating element may be one of a contact wheel, acutting disc, a depth wheel, a closing wheel, or a cleansing wheel; thereference element may be one of a chassis, a contact wheel, or amonitoring center; the reference element may be a second rotatingelement and when the relative angle between the first rotating elementand the second rotating element is different from zero, the referenceelement may execute a step of alerting the operator of the agriculturalimplement; and/or the reference element may be a chassis and definingthe relative angle between the rotating element and the referenceelement may include defining the tilt of the rotating element withrespect to the agricultural implement.

Further, the present disclosure includes, according to some embodiments,a vibration sensing method applied in an agricultural implement. Thevibration sensing method may include: (a) performing readings for apredetermined period of inertial values of th orthogonal axes of areference system of an inertial sensor fixed to an element of anagricultural implement; (b) calculating the average of the readings inone of the axes and defining an operational limit for the readings; (c)determining whether there is a variation in the readings greater thanthe defined operational limit; and (d) sending an alert to an operatorwhen there is a variation greater than the defined operational limit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects, advantages, and technical and functional improvements ofthe disclosed concepts will be better understood from reading thedescriptions of their particular accomplishments, made below withrelation to the attached figures, which illustrate modes of example,non-limiting embodiments, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an agricultural implement equipped with asensing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the sensing system related tothe agricultural implement according to one embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a single element of asensing system illustrating a reference system of orthogonal axesaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a closing wheel with a sensing systemaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of rotation sensingaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of tilt sensing accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a rear view of a set of closing wheels according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of vibration sensingaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 shows a graph of signals obtained from the readings of thesensing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 10 shows a graph of signals obtained from the readings of thesensing system according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The concepts of the present disclosure will now be described withrespect to certain particular embodiments, referring to the attachedfigures. In the following figures and description, similar parts aremarked with equal reference numbers. The figures are not necessarilydrawn to scale, i.e., certain features of the figures may be shown withexaggeration of scale or in some schematic way. Additionally, details ofconventional elements may not be shown in order to illustrate thisdescription more clearly and concisely. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure are susceptible to implementation in different ways. Specificembodiments are described in detail and shown in the figures, with theunderstanding that the description is to be regarded as an providingexamples of the principles disclosed herein, and is not intended tolimit the present disclosure only to what is illustrated and describedherein. It should be recognized that the different teachings of theembodiments discussed below may be employed separately or in anysuitable combination to produce the same or similar technical effects.

The present disclosure will be described below using a planting row unitas a non-limiting example of an agricultural implement 1.

The terms “rotating element” and “rotating elements” shall beinterpreted as any element(s) that rotate(s) around a fixed axis, suchas the rotating elements 2 illustrated in FIG. 1. From left to right inFIG. 1, the illustrated rotating elements include a closing wheel 16, adepth wheel 17, a cutting disc 18, a cleansing wheel 19 and, above thelatter, a connecting hinge 20 for connecting to a chassis of the seedplanter 15.

Also illustrated in FIG. 1 are sensing systems 5 fixed to the rotatingelements 2 according to particular example embodiments of the disclosureand a monitoring center 3. Monitoring center 3 is normally arranged inthe operator's cab (not shown) of the agricultural implement 1 and isequipped with an alert mechanism 4. The alert mechanism 4 may be anymechanism that may draw the operator's attention in the event of analert, such as, for example, a beep—buzzer, a siren and/or other audiblealarm, or a visual signal (e.g., an image or text on a display, whichmay be flashing or fixed on a display panel).

As shown in FIG. 2, the sensing systems 5, also referred to herein as“single elements” 5, may be fixed directly to the rotating elements 2 tobe monitored. The sensing systems 5 may be configured for wirelesslycommunicating with a monitoring center 3. Each sensing system 5 mayinclude an inertial sensor 6, a microprocessor 7, a communicationelement 8, and a power supply 9.

The power source 9 for energizing the sensing system 5 may be or includea battery that is internal to the single element 5, but may also beused, by way of additional example, with external batteries to thesingle element 5. In embodiments in which external batteries are used,the single element 5 may be connected to the external battery(ies) bycables or energy collectors/generators mounted on the sensor assembly.Energy collectors/generators are devices capable of absorbing energysuch as, for example, the mechanical energy of the vibration of theagricultural implement 1 or solar energy from photovoltaic collectors.

In the accompanying figures, the single element of the sensing system 5is represented by a parallelogram, so that all the inertial measurementsperformed consist of intensity values oriented along three orthogonalreference axes of the sensor, as shown in FIG. 3 as the x, y and z axes.

In one example embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the sensing system5 may be fixed to a rotating element 2 in contact with the ground 21,such as a closing wheel 16. FIG. 4 illustrates a dynamic working model,wherein: ac represents the centripetal acceleration of the wheel duringthe movement of the seed planter; ap represents the drag accelerationfelt by the inertial sensor assembly 6 (see FIG. 2) due to acceleratedmovement of the seed planter; g represents gravitational acceleration;and R represents the resulting acceleration measured by an accelerometerof the sensing system 5.

Another embodiment of the disclosure, illustrated in FIG. 5, includes amethod for detecting rotation of rotating elements is applied. Inoperation 10, the sensing system 5 performs a reading of accelerationvalues by providing a first resulting reference vector of an initialinstant. Data representing the first resulting reference vector and theinitial instant may then be transmitted to the microprocessor 7 (seeFIG. 2) and stored. In operation 11, at a later time, a secondmeasurement may be performed and a second resulting vector may besupplied to the microprocessor 7 for comparison with the first resultingvector. Hence, at operation 12, a relative angular variation calculationmay be made. At operation 13, it may be evaluated whether there is anyangular variation. If there is no angular variation, an alert signal maybe sent (e.g., by radio frequency (RF)) to a monitoring center 3 locatedat the operator station of the agricultural implement 1, as illustratedat operation 14. If there is an angular variation, then first and secondresulting vectors and a potential angular variation may be recalculatedas illustrated at operations 10 through 12.

The inertial sensor 6 (FIG. 2) used in the sensing system 5 may be aninertial sensor 6 of an accelerometer type. In this case, theacceleration values may be composed mainly of the intensity of thegravitational acceleration. However, any other inertial sensor 6 thatcan perform the same or a similar function may be used, such as agyroscope or magnetometer that may be capable of sensing the earth'smagnetic field, since they may be able to generate orientation vectorsbased on an absolute, reference, gravitational, or electromagneticparameter.

As described above, communication by the sensing system to themonitoring center 3 may be performed with radiofrequency waves. However,additional embodiments of the disclosure may be implemented in otherways, such as, for example, by infrared waves and/or in other ways(e.g., with the use of wires or cables).

In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensing system 5may be used to detect the tilt of the rotating element 2 byposition/orientation identification of the rotating element 2 withrespect to a reference element 31, which may include a second sensingsystem 5 that may be positioned on the agricultural implement 1. Asindicated at operation 22, the sensing system 5 fixed to the rotatingelement 2 may perform a first reading of the inertial values of theorthogonal axes of the reference system and defines a first resultingvector. At operation 23, the sensing system 5 fixed to a referenceelement 31 (FIG. 1) may perform a second reading of the inertial valuesof the orthogonal axes of the reference system and may define a secondresulting vector. At operation 24, the angular variation between thevectors resulting from the rotating element 2 and the reference element31 may then be calculated. At operation 25, the relative angle betweenthe rotating element 2 and the reference element 31 may be defined. Atoperation 26, the relative configuration (e.g., orientation) of therotating element 2 (e.g., relative to the reference element 31) may beindicated to the operator.

The method for determining the tilt may be based on the crossing/fusionof information of the two inertial elements that can be performed in theindividual microprocessors 7 of the sensing systems 5 or in themonitoring center 3.

An example application of principles of the present disclosure may bemade in closing wheels 16, as shown in FIG. 7. Closing wheels 16generally have the function of ensuring the adequate housing of theplanted inputs (e.g., seeds, fertilizer) for a quality germination. Thisis done by filling the groove (e.g., furrow) opened by the planting rowunit with the soil that has been previously removed. The closing wheels16 are often the last element positioned in the planting row unit, sothat their angulation directs the soil to its narrowest portion, causingthe closing and pressing of the groove with the inputs already planted.

The assembly of the elements of the closing wheels 16 also allows forsome adjustments, such as the tilt of the central bar connected to theaxles of the wheels, the pressure exerted by the wheels 16 on the ground21 by a spring and, in some models, the relative angulation between thetwo wheels 16 can also be varied. These adjustments may made possible bythe positioning of a lever between 3 different configurations(illustrated in FIG. 7 as a, b, and c, respectively), thus changing therelative angulation of the wheels 16 to the ground 21.

The method for identifying the tilt of the rotating element 2 may beparticularly advantageous when the rotating element 2 is acritical-function element such as a closing wheel 16, so that an alertsignal is sent to the operator as soon as the event of tilt variation isdetected to avoid prolonged planting damage.

A third example method of the present disclosure, shown in FIG. 8, mayinvolve detecting vibration levels of mechanical elements of theagricultural implement 1. To this end, the inertial sensor mountingassembly 6 previously described may be secured to the mechanicalelement. At operation 27, readings may be performed of the inertialquantities for a predetermined period of time. Then, an operationallimit can be calculated and defined based on the average of themeasurements of the period, as illustrated at operation 28. Asillustrated at operation 29, it may be determined whether there was avalue variation greater than a defined operational limit. As shown inoperation 30, an alert may be sent to the operator via the monitoringcenter 3 of the agricultural implement 1 if the measurements subsequentto the calibration period exceed the established operational limit. Forexample, data representing vibrational measurements during a calibrationperiod are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In FIG. 10, the intervals foraverage calculation are defined in smaller intervals than in FIG. 9.

While concepts of the disclosure have been specifically described withrespect to particular embodiments, it should be understood thatvariations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in theart and may be accomplished without departing from the presentdisclosure. Consequently, the scope of protection is not limited to theembodiments described, but is limited only by the attached claims, thescope of which must include all equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of vibration sensing applied in anagricultural implement, comprising: performing readings for apredetermined period of inertial values of orthogonal axes of areference system of an inertial sensor fixed to an element of anagricultural implement; calculating an average of the readings in one ofthe axes and defining an operational limit for the readings; determiningwhether there is a variation in the readings greater than the definedoperational limit; and sending an alert to an operator when there is avariation greater than the defined operational limit.